Jackson will star as a derelict rollercoaster mechanic and former jazz star, who lives in a converted train caboose in New Orleans.

However, he unexpectedly inherits a large amount of money, and decides to drunkenly hire an unlucky British butler (Caine).

Stage and film director Wolfe will start shooting the film in Louisiana in spring 2014, while Damian F Slattery has written the script.

"We are very proud to bring together these two great movie icons, Sam Jackson and Michael Caine, under the direction of the great George C Wolfe," said Philippe Rivier of Spirit Films and Colin Callender of Playground Entertainment.

"Harry and the Butler follows in the honourable tradition of so many classic films in which a chance encounter between two disparate characters transforms them forever."

The film is loosely based on the 1962 Danish film Harry og Kammertjeneren.

Morgan Freeman and Sir Anthony Hopkins were previously attached to star in the project.